A 21-year-old heart transplant survivor was yesterday in intensive care after a road crash in St. George's.

Earl Ingemann, of Sandys, suffered head and chest injuries in the one-vehicle smash at about 3.30 a.m. on Kindley Field Road. He was in a serious condition at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital last night.

The car's three other occupants were less seriously injured, including the 31-year-old driver, who was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving but later passed an alco-analyser test.

Ingemann — who is due to stand trial for an alleged machete attack — was given a new heart by doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He had been living with a ventricular assist device, which was fitted due to his enlarged heart, since 2006.

The risky operation led to him appearing on the US documentary television series Hopkins last year. He was described by programme makers as a "live wire" who constantly eluded doctors and nurses who wanted him to stay put and behave like other patients on the heart transplant list.

Viewers heard that he would rather prowl the hospital, go out for junk food, play video games and get his hair braided. Doctors worried about his health as he needed something more than a routine heart transplant.

After the transplant, he came back to Bermuda and his health was reported to have improved consistently. A patient update on the show's website quotes Mr. Ingemann as saying: "It's like what they say: what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. I've learned to really cherish life."

The update said he planned to return to his favourite pastimes of jet skiing, swimming and clubbing and that he had been accepted to study computer graphics and business management at Bermuda College.

His mother Wanda told the show she sent a letter to his donor family, but never received a response, and that her son wanted to travel to see them and thank them in person.

In December 2008, Ingemann appeared in Magistrates' Court in connection with an alleged attack on a barbershop employee.

He was jointly charged with wounding Al-Rashid Ebbin with intent to do him grievous bodily harm at a Flatts barbershop on November 28 that year.

Ingemann pleaded not guilty to the charge when he appeared at Supreme Court in July last year. He also denied possessing a machete, baseball bat, penknife and incapacitant spray and misusing telephone facilities by uttering threatening words. A trial date has yet to be set.

Yesterday's road accident involving Ingemann happened in the vicinity of Stone Crusher Corner, according to Police.

A spokesman said: "It appears that a car was travelling west on Kindley Field Road when the driver lost control.

"As a result the car went up an embankment, struck a tree and overturned. There were four occupants in the vehicle at the time and all received injuries."

The spokesman said the 31-year-old driver suffered abrasions to his face but declined medical treatment. A 23-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, both from Sandys, were also injured. Police said the man's injuries were unknown and the woman hurt her hands.

Ingemann's family could not be contacted for comment yesterday.